i've been told the president has a chuck hagel, former republican senator, as leading contender for defense secretary. he had a meeting with the president a couple weeks back. before we heard this about susan rice stepping down, and we have the letter she sent to the president withdrawing her name from consideration for secretary of state. i was hearing john kerry, senate foreign relation chairman was leading contender for secretary of state. i also heard separately that susan rice has been under k for national security advisor. it's a senior post where you have a lot of influence over the president's national security policy but it's a position in the white house that would not be confirm able by the senate. so the president could appoint her the national security advisor. we'll see whether or not he does. some democrats floated that to me. they knew, and the reason it's breaking now, they knew that and susan rice knew that what senator mccain threatening to filibuster that was going to be a bloody battle and the president is in the middle of a budget battle. about an hour from now we have